Burrungurrah, Wajarri Yamatji Country

Working Group MeetingsAllowanceTravel

A guide for native title working group members

Country is our mother, our

provider and keeper of

our cultural belongings

Travel Allowance (TA) is paid to help with the cost of

travelling between your home and a native title meeting. It

is not a sitting fee or payment for attending a meeting.

Working Group Meetings for native title matters are funded

by the Commonwealth Department of Prime Minister and

Cabinet (DPMC). YMAC’s ability to pay TA is dependent

on ongoing funding from the Federal Government.

Negotiation meetings are funded by the mining or

development company your native title claim group is

negotiating an agreement with. This factsheet does not

deal with payments for negotiation meetings, which

depend on what has been negotiated with the company.

Yamatji Marlpa Aboriginal Corporation

(YMAC) is the native title representative

body for the Yamatji and Pilbara regions

of WA. YMAC is a not-for-profit Aboriginal

corporation run by an Aboriginal Board of

Directors and Regional Committees chosen

by our members. Membership is open to all

adult Yamatji and Marlpa people.

This booklet may contain images of Aboriginal people who are deceased. YMAC apologises for any distress this may cause. Please contact your nearest YMAC office to request a photo of a late family member be removed.

Nyangumarta Country

32

How to receive a TA Payment

When you receive a notice about an upcoming meeting please tell YMAC if you will be

attending. To receive TA Payments you must fill out a “Payment Authority” (bank details)

form. This tells YMAC your address and bank details. You need to keep these details

up-to-date to receive the TA you are entitled to. If you would like to change your bank

details, please give us a new form at least five working days before the meeting.

To make sure you get the correct TA payment, make sure you sign the attendance

register, fill in your car registration and present your driver’s licence when you arrive at

the meeting.

On the day of the meeting• Signtheattendanceregisterwhenyouarrive,beforethestartofthemeeting.

• Ifyouareclaimingfuelallowance,youneedtoshowYMACstaffyourdriver’slicenceontheday.YMACstaffmayasktoseethevehicle.

• Youmustbeover18yearsofagetoreceiveTA.

• YouneedtoattendthewholemeetingifyouareclaimingTA.

If you have an Australian Business Number (ABN), please provide us with an invoice that

has your ABN on it.

If you do not have an ABN, you can either:• Completea‘StatementbySupplier’formor• Instructustowithholdincometaxfromyourpaymentatthehighestmarginalrate

(currently 49%)

YMACisnotlegallyabletogiveyouadviceaboutwhethera“StatementbySupplier’

form is appropriate for you. If you are not sure, you can find out more information from

theAustralianTaxOffice(ATO)bycalling137226orvisitingato.gov.auandsearching

“statement by supplier”.

Wildflower season in Yamatji country

54

Example TA Payments for Working Group meetings funded by DPMC:

Description Return distance

Travel allowance (mileage)

Accommodation allowance

Meals/incidentals allowance

Total

John travels 45km to get to a Working Group meeting

90km $0 $0 $0 $0

John travels 55km to get to a Working Group meeting

110km $55 $0 $0 $55

Johntravels195kmto get to a Working Group meeting

390km $195 $0 $80 $275

Johntravels600kmto get to a Working Group meeting in a “high cost” town

1200km $600 $300 $80 $980

Please note: these rates may be different for negotiation meetings funded by a company

TA rates for Working Group meetings funded by DPMC:

Home distance from meeting venue (one way)

Less than 50km 50 - 200km More than 200km

Travel Allowance (mileage)

None 50 cents per km 50centsperkm(max$1000,or$500eachway)

Accommodation allowance

None None $150or$110pernight,depending on the town

Meals/incidentals allowance (each way)

None $40 $40

Tax and Centrelink Requirements

ItisyourresponsibilitytotelltheATO(tel:137226)orCentrelink(tel:136380)ofany

paymentsthatmightaffectyourincome.

Proxies

Ifyourappointedproxyisgoingtoattendthemeetinginyourplace,pleaseletusknow

beforethemeeting.Youcanonlyhaveonenominatedproxyonrecordatatime,anda

workinggroupmemberandtheirproxycannotbothbepaidtoattendthesamemeeting.

Tochangeyourproxy,simplyaskaYMACstaffmemberforanewproxyformtocomplete.

IfyouarepaidTAinsteadofyourproxy,itisyourresponsibilitytogiveyourTAtoyourproxy.

Proxiesareonlypaidmileagefromtheshortestdistancetravelledbyeithertheworking

groupmemberortheproxy.Yourproxymustbeamemberoftherelevantclaimgroup.

Advance TA

IfyouareaWorkingGroupMemberorproxyandyourequireyourTAinadvance,

please inform YMAC at least three business days before the meeting. If you are paid

advance TA and can no longer attend the meeting, please inform YMAC straight away.

AnyTAdebtwillbedeductedfromyournextmeetingpaymentorfrompaymentsto

yourappointedproxy.

Banjima native title determination

ForinformationonTAforCommunitymeetings,askyournearestYMACofficeorcheck

our website for the fact sheet “Travel Allowance for Community Meetings”

Theinformationinthisbookletwascorrectatthetimeofprintingin2015,andmay

change over time.

76

Perth

Geraldton

Tom Price

South Hedland

YAMATJIREGION

MARLPA REGION

GERALDTON171 Marine Tce Geraldton WAPO Box 2119 Geraldton WA 6531T: (08) 9965 6222 F: (08) 9964 5646

SOUTH HEDLAND3 Brand Street South Hedland WAPO Box 2252 South Hedland WA 6722T: (08) 9172 5433 F: (08) 9140 1277

PERTHLevel 2, 16 St Georges Terrace, Perth WAPO Box 3072 Hay St East Perth 6892T: (08) 9268 7000 F: (08) 9225 4633

TOM PRICELot 974 Central Road, Tom Price WAPO Box 27 Tom Price WA 6751T: (08) 9188 1722 F: (08) 9188 1996

www.ymac.org.au FREECALL: 1300 7 12345